Wednesday, July 8, 2009

In one of the biggest celebrity send-offs in history, Michael Jackson family, friends and fans held a prize presentation ceremony memorial ceremony for the late King of Pop Tuesday, as millions of people worldwide tuned in to watch TV and the Internet.Memorial service opened with the soul of the great Smokey Robinson read a letter of condolences from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. So Jackson's flower-Laden coffin was wheeled in, accompanied by pallbearers each carrying a single sequined glove, as the Gospel Choir sang."In his beautiful and very human heart MJ wanted nothing more than to give to the world, and may be back in return," said Jackson family priest Lucious Smith. Through his words, his music and his many good works Michael did so much to try to heal our world. "Mariah Carey and sang one of Jackson's earliest hits," I will be there. "

Other artists including Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Hudson and John Mayer. But the highlight of the service came when many artists were on stage for a rendition of Jackson's 1984 charity hit, "We in the world" and his follow up song "heal the world".

Jackson's daughter Paris, 11, in her first known public statement, praised her father, breaking down in tears as her Aunt Janet Jackson tried to comfort her. "I just wanted to say that since I was born, Dad is the best father you can imagine, and I wanted to say that I love him so much."

Tribute was also paid by Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, African American activist Reverend Al Sharpton, basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson, children of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King and actress Brooke Shields.

The public ceremony followed a private memorial ceremony at a Hollywood Hills cemetery as Jackson's coffin was loaded into a hearse for the procession to the Staples Center, where celebrities and fans enter arena in a big black blanket.

There were three remarkable absence Services: Jackson-old friend, Dame Elizabeth Taylor said: "I love him too much to share my grief with millions of others." Diana Ross said she wanted to mark his death with silence, while his former wife Debbie Rowe, who can start a legal battle for custody of two children she had with Jackson, said her presence "would be an unnecessary distraction for an event that should focus solely on Michael's legacy.

Thousands of policemen were deployed in downtown Los Angeles before the service as the world's entertainment capital, braced to the memory of one of the greatest entertainers in history.

The police said that the operation has exceeded all previous events in the city's history, including the 1984-OL, Los Angeles Times reported. Officials had feared that as many as 700,000 fans would gather around the scene and appealed to them to stay home.

Thousands of fans ignored the appeal and crowded behind barricades that were built around a large part of the area around Staples Center. But there were no reports of problems, because only an estimated 50,000 fans showed up.

Over 1.6 million people applied for 17,500 tickets available through online lotto.

Jackson, 50, died June 25 from a cardiac arrest. A police investigation into his death is focused on the possible misuse of Jackson for prescription drugs and hospital sedatives.